Commenting on
the election of Ben Houchen as the new Mayor of Tees Valley, Nigel Mills,
Chairman of the Entrepreneurs' Forum, said:

“We are keen
to support the new Mayor's commitment to creating more employment opportunities
in Tees Valley, which is key to helping growing businesses in the area scale-up
their operations.

"The Entrepreneurs'
Forum has been a strong advocate for devolution and the election of Ben Houchen
is a significant step towards the area having a greater control of its destiny,
both economically and socially.

"We are
keen to work with Ben, who as an entrepreneur himself understands the
challenges and opportunities of running a growing business; His experience
and relationships with organisations like the Entrepreneurs' Forum will help
create an even better environment for companies to grow and thrive in Tees
Valley."